Green Tkemali

October 30, 2018

Green Tkemali - kvalifood.com

Green tkemali is a Georgian sour plum sauce made from unripe plums in spring. It is tart, herb-heavy, and garlicky, used as a condiment for grilled meat, potatoes, and bread. The traditional plum is the cherry plum (Prunus cerasifera), which is very sour compared to Western varieties.

Makes ca. 800 ml

Ingredients

1 kg green (unripe) sour plums
1 garlic bulb (ca. 50 g), peeled and minced
50 g fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems, finely chopped
80 g fresh dill fronds, finely chopped
20 g fresh spearmint leaves, finely chopped
20 g fresh summer savory, stalks tied in a bundle
2 green chili peppers (jalapeno or serrano), finely chopped, to taste
20-30 g sugar (optional, to taste)
salt, to taste
water, to cover plums

Directions

Place the plums in a deep pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce to a simmer and add the summer savory bundle. Cook until the plums are completely soft and falling apart, about 15-20 minutes.
Remove the plums to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Reserve the cooking water. Discard the summer savory bundle.
Press the plums through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot, working in batches with a wooden spoon. Push firmly to extract all pulp and juice. Discard stones and skins.
If the puree is too thick, thin with reserved cooking water until it reaches a pourable sauce consistency.
Add the cilantro, spearmint, green chili, and garlic. Season with salt and stir well.
Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Taste and add sugar if the sauce is too sour.
Once boiling, add the dill. Stir and boil for exactly 1 minute.
Remove from heat and cool completely before transferring to clean glass jars. Refrigerate.

Notes

Georgian cherry plums are very sour. If using sweeter Western plums (Santa Rosa, greengage), add 1-2 tbsp lemon juice to compensate.
Spearmint is the safest substitute for the traditional pennyroyal, which has liver toxicity risks.
Summer savory is infused whole and removed, not chopped into the sauce. If unavailable, omit it.
Refrigerated, the sauce keeps 2-3 weeks. In sterilized jars, it stores for months.